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A case study of preschool social inclusion through children’s perspectives
Author
Chan, Pauline
Supervisor
Lim, Levan
Tay-Lim, Joanna Kim Hoon
Abstract
The current study describes the meaning of preschool social inclusion from the children’s perspectives. The research evidence has shown that preschool social inclusion enhances the cognitive, language and social development of children with disabilities and reduces discrimination. Within the Singapore context, preschool social inclusion is an important area for study in the light of increasing diagnosis of preschool children with special needs which leads to rising demand for inclusion in mainstream preschool education. However, there is limited understanding of the phenomenon both locally and internationally from the children’s perspectives. In the study of children’s lives, the literature attested to the value of listening to children’s perspectives in informing on their educational experiences. With growing emphasis and recognition of children’s rights and competency as active social participants, their perspectives have been regarded as critical and valid inputs in research concerning them.
The study was conducted in a childcare centre’s kindergarten one (K1) classroom with inclusive practices. It adopted a socio-cultural framework using a single case study with embedded multiple units to understand the daily interactions of eight of the K1 children and their peer with speech and language delay. A Mosaic approach which involved semi-structured interviews incorporating drawing, puppetry and video clips, as well as naturalistic observations coupled with informal conversations were carried out to elicit the children’s views and feelings.
The study findings reveal three key themes: the forms of social inclusion, the feelings associated with social inclusion and exclusion, and the factors influencing the phenomenon. The forms of social inclusion involved children’s sharing of play and activities, and their sharing of resources. Positive, neutral and negative feelings were identified in the social inclusion and exclusion episodes. The factors which were significant in impacting the social inclusion of the children were the children’s behaviours, the competencies of the child with special needs, individual preference of play types and peer availability, toy interests, emotional factors and adult’s expectations on children’s behaviours. These factors and their interplay support the importance of the socio-cultural context in playing a key role in the phenomenon. The children showed themselves to be capable social participants who at times considered and weighed several factors simultaneously in making their social inclusion or exclusion decisions. The findings therefore provide valuable insights into the complex dialectic interactions between individual characteristics, the environmental support, contextual factors and the power negotiation involved in the social inclusion process.
Based on the findings, several pedagogical practices are recommended for enhancing social inclusion experiences in the classroom understudied. These include focusing on positive behaviours, creating play team and schedule, conflict management and improving the competencies of the child with special needs.
The study was conducted in a childcare centre’s kindergarten one (K1) classroom with inclusive practices. It adopted a socio-cultural framework using a single case study with embedded multiple units to understand the daily interactions of eight of the K1 children and their peer with speech and language delay. A Mosaic approach which involved semi-structured interviews incorporating drawing, puppetry and video clips, as well as naturalistic observations coupled with informal conversations were carried out to elicit the children’s views and feelings.
The study findings reveal three key themes: the forms of social inclusion, the feelings associated with social inclusion and exclusion, and the factors influencing the phenomenon. The forms of social inclusion involved children’s sharing of play and activities, and their sharing of resources. Positive, neutral and negative feelings were identified in the social inclusion and exclusion episodes. The factors which were significant in impacting the social inclusion of the children were the children’s behaviours, the competencies of the child with special needs, individual preference of play types and peer availability, toy interests, emotional factors and adult’s expectations on children’s behaviours. These factors and their interplay support the importance of the socio-cultural context in playing a key role in the phenomenon. The children showed themselves to be capable social participants who at times considered and weighed several factors simultaneously in making their social inclusion or exclusion decisions. The findings therefore provide valuable insights into the complex dialectic interactions between individual characteristics, the environmental support, contextual factors and the power negotiation involved in the social inclusion process.
Based on the findings, several pedagogical practices are recommended for enhancing social inclusion experiences in the classroom understudied. These include focusing on positive behaviours, creating play team and schedule, conflict management and improving the competencies of the child with special needs.
Date Issued
2013
Call Number
LC1203.S55 Cha
Date Submitted
2013